Suchergebnisse

A review essay on books by (1) Alessandro Brushi, Metodologia della Ricerca Sociale (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2005); (2) Piergiogrio Corbetta, Metodologia e Tecniche della Ricerca Sociale ([Social Research: Theory, Methods and Techniques (London: Sage, 2003)] Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999); (3) Pierangelo Isernia, Introduzione alla Ricera Politica e Sociale (Bologna, Il Mulino, 2001); (4) Paolo Natale, La Ricerca Sociale (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2007); (5) Leonardo Morlino, Introduzione alla Ricerca Comparata (Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005); (6) Alberto Marradi, Metodologia delle Scienze Sociali ([a cura di Rita Pavsic e Maria Concetta Pitrone] Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007) & (7) Paul Pennings, Hans Keman and Jan Kleinnijenhuis, Doing Research in Political Science: An Introduction to Comparative Methods and Statistics (London: Sage, 2003).

In this focus article the book Making Social Sciences More Scientific by Rein Taagepera is discussed. The book proposes an innovative approach to quantitative modelling, the "quantitatively predictive logical modeling". In the first contribution, the originality of this approach is discussed, through a comparison with three traditional methodological perspectives: qualitative research; rational- choice modeling; empirically-oriented quantitative research. Then, the potential of Taagepera's approach is evaluated with respect to the problem of the relationship between concepts and signs. In this regard, the non-linear, theoretically-driven construction of mathematical models advocated by Taagepera could provide a far more accurate operationalization of the conceptual models developed in the social sciences, which often feature non-linear relationships. Finally, the possibility of integrating Taagepera's suggestion with the traditional quantitative approach -- based on the generalized linear model -- is discussed, by pointing out potential problems and possible solutions. In the second contribution, Taagepera's critique of the prevalent approach to quantitative analysis of social phenomena is illustrated and commented, along with his proposal to adopt quantitatively predictive logical models as the basic analytical tool of the social sciences. Then, it is argued that, though based on sound arguments, Taagepera's critique of generalized linear regression models is somewhat too severe, since it overlooks some of regression's analytical best strengths. Adapted from the source document.

The debate between realists and liberals in the field of International Relations concerning the causes and effects of economic interdependence among states has led to a remarkable branch of empirical literature, but hardly any research has studied such dynamics in the period following the Cold War, which is so often defined "the age of globalization". This article is based on a quantitative analysis of the influence of international politics on commercial flows in the post-bipolar period and it performs such analysis on two datasets: the first one including all countries of the system for which data are available and the second one focused on the countries that previous similar studies have identified as great powers. The results show that the contemporary international system is marked by a high degree of complexity and by the simultaneous action of different and even contrasting logics. Liberal variables such as democracy and economic international institutions exert a remarkable effect on international trade, especially at the global level, but international security and even power politics issues are still relevant, particularly for the great powers in their reciprocal relationships. Adapted from the source document.

Darstellung der wichtigen Funktion, die ausländische Arbeitnehmer, besonders aus arabischen und asiatischen Ländern, für die Golfstaaten besitzen. Diese sind der einheimischen Bevölkerung oft nicht nur quantitativ, sondern auch in der Qualität der Berufsausbildung überlegen. Die Haltung der Staaten zu den Ausländern ist zwiespältig: obwohl man sehr von ihnen profitiert und sie in vielen Bereichen wie der Baubranche unverzichtbar sind, verweigert man ihnen die Bürgerrechte und beschränkt ihre Freizügigkeit. (DÜI-Hlr)

The democratic reforms introduced in many sub-Saharan African countries during the 1990s involved the restoration of multipartism. The re-emergence of party politics spurred a number of analyses of the continent's new parties & party systems, largely based on theories & concepts derived from the study of advanced democracies. The article reviews & critically examines recent works on Africa's parties & party systems by presenting the dominant themes & issues & by investigating the utility of Western-derived models for the analysis of new multiparty regimes. In spite of a quantitative increase & a qualitative improvement in the study of Africa's parties & party systems, the latter still suffers a scarcity of empirical & theoretical investigations. At the same time, the use of political science tools for the study of party politics south of the Sahara is part of a broader positive trend towards a better integration of the analysis of African politics with that of politics in other world areas. Tables, Appendixes, References. Adapted from the source document.

The importance given to the migratory phenomena occurring all over the world is more & more evident because of their relevance both demographically (hence the differentials existing in the TFT of the developed & developing countries) & in economic terms (given the possible increase & promotion of economic growth in developing countries). Consequently, in a context such as the present one in which demographic events & economic phenomena are combined, a fundamental role is played on a micro-level by the migrant, who comes to occupy the role of fundamental "resource," both for the place of origin & for the place of destination, while on a macro level the territorial mobility of populations, which brings in new features, regarding the natural movement of populations, that are very different from those already rooted in the developed countries, could play a "re-equilibrating" role in the quantitative development of populations. Taking all these factors into account, it is worth examining & reflecting on the role of the migratory phenomena in a well limited area -- the area that includes the countries of the EU & of the Mediterranean Basin -- which we have been methodically analyzing for some years & above all since the time when the Southern European countries started to become more & more the areas of final destination for people coming prevalently from the Southern bank of the Mediterranean & from the Third World in general. References. Adapted from the source document.